Friday, December 16, 2011

Geo-Picture-a-Day Week: Houses Made of (Former) Stone, and a Dog

It's day five of geo-picture-a-day week in the Geoblogosphere (thanks to Evelyn at Georneys for the idea), and we've moved on to houses of former stone. Adobe is made of iron-oxide stained clay derived from the erosion of feldspar-rich rocks. The sediments are briefly held together again as an artificial rock for a time while being used as a shelter by humans.

Taos Pueblo is one of the oldest continually inhabited settlements in North America, at around 1,000 years. The Taos Mountains, a sub-range of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains of Colorado and New Mexico, rise high above the village.

The village is justly famous, and the buildings are described by some as the most-photographed in the country. The Taos people are quite private, but tourists are allowed to explore some areas around the plaza. It's a fascinating glimpse into the history and prehistory of New Mexico.

I thought the abrupt transition from Rio Grande gorge into the Taos plateau while traveling along 68 is very striking too. One minute you're in a twisty road at the bottom of a narrow river and the next minute you're on this flat expansive plateau.

About Me

I am a teacher of geology at Modesto Junior College and former president of the National Association of Geoscience Teachers, Far Western Section. I have led field trips all over the western United States, and a few excursions overseas, but my homebase is the Sierra Nevada, the Great Valley, and the Coast Ranges of California.

Blooks, Boogers and Bleries

Here are some of the series I've produced for the Geotripper Blog:

The Other California: what to see when you've seen all the really famous places in the Golden State (in progress). Into the Great Unknown: A rafting journey down the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon. The most incredible adventure of my life (so far)!